Charlie
"Choo Choo" BrackinsHt/Wt: 6-1/205, Teams: Green Bay Packers (Drafted
in 1955, 16th Rd by Green Bay Packers) College: Prairie View BQB-SITE's View:
Charlie "Choo Choo" Brackins played in 1955 for the Green Bay Packers. Drafted
in the 16th round of the 1955 draft by the Packers out of Prairie View A&M,
where he was a four-year starter and led his team to 33 victories in 37 games.
He was a big tall passer at 6’2 and 205 Lbs. Brackins became the fourth black
quarterback to play in an NFL game. He played in the closing minutes for the
Green Bay Packers in a blowout game against Cleveland on October 23,1955. Green
Bay won the game 41-10 and Brackins had two incompletions. His career only
lasted seven games and the Packers placed him on waivers after he had broken
curfew before a game in Chicago and other unnamed problems. After the
“Violations”, Brackins never got a chance to return to the NFL. He had tryouts,
mostly as a Defensive Back, but never caught on again and injured his knee
leaving the game. He died of cancer in 1990 at the age of
58.

Marlin BriscoeHt/Wt:
6-4/210, Teams: Denver Broncos (AFL), Buffalo Bills (AFL), Miami Dolphins, San
Diego Chargers, Detroit Lions, and New England Patriots (Drafted in 1969, 11th
Rd by Denver Broncos - AFL) College: Nebraska - Omaha BQB-SITE's View:
Instead of Eldridge Dickey making an impact on pro football in 1968 there was
another Black Quarterback that broke through that year. Marlin Briscoe from
University of Omaha was drafted in the 14th Rd by the Denver Broncos (AFL) in
the same draft as Dickey. Briscoe had been a two-sport star (Basketball and
Football) in the Omaha area in both high school and college. Though he was small
at 5’11, 185 lbs, Briscoe could more than get the job done at the position. He
was well schooled in the position by his uncle Bob Rose a youth coach in the
Omaha region. He finished his senior year of college with 2,283 yards passing
and was named a NAIA All-American in 1967. He was nicknamed the “Magician” in
college for the way he magically got away from defenders to make plays on the
move. When Briscoe was signed by the Broncos, they asked him to come in as
Defensive Back. Briscoe had been warned that pro football was still not ready
for a black quarterback and he had already experienced similar treatment in High
School where he had to play running back to get on the field. His college coach
Al Caniglia knew Briscoe wanted to play quarterback and advised him to have his
contract stipulate that in training camp he be given a three day tryout at the
position. When he arrived at training camp there were 8 quarterbacks and Briscoe
was listed last on the depth chart. During the beginning of training camp,
Briscoe dazzled at the position, but was moved to the defensive backfield after
his three day tryout. Briscoe wanting a chance to make the team accepted the
move, but fate snuck in to help him. Starter Steve Tensi broke his collarbone
and backup Joe DiVito was unproductive. Briscoe finally got his chance in the
3rd game of the season against the Boston Patriots. He entered the game with the
Broncos trailing 20-7 and almost helped them pull out a victory in a 20-17 loss,
scoring a touchdown running the ball. After his showing Head Coach Lou Saban
reluctantly named him the starter and he became the first African American
Quarterback to start for a team. He ended up playing in 11 games, 7 of which he
started. He finished with a Broncos rookie record of 1,589 yards passing and 14
TD’s, plus 308 yards rushing. Some of Briscoe’s records stood until John Elway
came along in 1983. The next season when Briscoe arrive, he was informed by
Saban that he was no longer a quarterback and cut him without an explanation.
Briscoe needing an opportunity almost signed with the British Columbia Lions
(CFL). Instead he got picked up by the Buffalo Bills as an “Athlete”. The Bills
were already set at quarterback with Tom Flores and Jack Kemp, additionally they
already had a black quarterback in 1969 draftee James Harris, so Briscoe was
moved to wide receiver. Briscoe practiced at quarterback only when the others
were injured and strictly play wide receiver. He later developed into a quality
receiver, playing three seasons for the Bills and earning Pro Bowl honors for
the 1970-71 season, finishing with 57 catches for 1036 yards and 8 touchdowns.
After leaving Buffalo, Briscoe continued to play WR with the great Miami
Dolphins teams of the early 1970’s including the 1972 perfect 17-0 team. He
continued to play until 1976, playing with Detroit, San Diego and ending his
career with the New England Patriots. Unfortunately Briscoe never got to achieve
success at the quarterback position after a stellar rookie season in 1968. He
later beat drug addiction and now counsels and coaches children in the Los
Angeles area.

Randall CunninghamHt/Wt:
6-4/210, Teams: Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, Dallas Cowboys, and
Baltimore Ravens (Drafted in 1985, 2nd Rd by Philadelphia Eagles) College: UNLV BQB-SITE's View: In the NFL, the first two legitimate Pro Bowl African
American Quarterbacks/Stars were taking flight in the late 1980’s and early
1990’s. The first was the previously discussed Warren Moon of the Houston Oilers
and the second was Randall Cunningham of the Philadelphia Eagles and later the
Minnesota Vikings, Dallas Cowboys, and Baltimore Ravens. Cunningham like Moon
was also a Southern California native growing up in Santa Barbara. He learned
the game from his brother Sam “Bam” Cunningham, who was a star player for USC
and later the New England Patriots. Cunningham had to battle through the loss of
his Father at an early age and sports were his outlet. He excelled at track
(high jump) and football, where he was all state as a punter and quarterback.
When it came time for Cunningham to select a school to play for many of the
larger schools including USC, wanted him at other positions. Cunningham accepted
a scholarship to UNLV, which promised to give him the opportunity to play
quarterback. Battling through the loss of his mother during college, Cunningham
excelled at a college off of the national radar leading his conference in total
yards and in punting average. In his Senior season in 1984, Cunningham led UNLV
to the California Bowl beating Toledo 30-13. That year he also threw for 2,628
yards with 24 touchdowns and had an amazing average of 47.5 yards per punt. His
career numbers at UNLV were 57.9 Completion Percentage, 8290 Yards Passing with
60 TD’s and a Punting Average of 45.2 yards. Cunningham had his coming out party
at the East – West Shrine game after the season. He threw a touchdown, caught a
touchdown on a fake play and was named the game’s MVP. Even with his performance
and amazing college stats, potential questions were still raised by NFL
Personnel men. He was labeled a good fit for the CFL and compared to Reggie
Collier and Walter Lewis, two past African American Quarterbacks that were known
more for their athleticism and ended up playing in the USFL. The Philadelphia
Eagles however were in a rebuilding mode after Dick Vermeil retired. Head Marion
Campbell didn’t listened to the critics and picked Cunningham in the 2nd Round
of the 1995 Draft. When he was drafted the fans and media focused more on the
selection of disappointing offensive lineman Kevin Allen with their 1st Round
pick. Cunningham in the preseason of 1985 showed his escapability and flare for
making plays out of nothing. He soon was playing at the end of the Eagles first
game in a 21-0 loss to the New York Giants. Campbell scrambling to help a
sputtering offense name Randall in the 2nd week in a 17-6 loss to the Los
Angeles Rams. He threw for 211 yards and ran for 90 yards, but threw 4
interceptions. He however was regulated to the bench in favor of Ron Jaworski
and the Eagles finished with a record of 7 – 9, with Cunningham finishing with
534 Yards Passing, 1 Touchdown, and 205 Yards Rushing. Campbell was fired after
the 1985-1986 and the Eagles hired Buddy Ryan. Ryan named Jaworski the starter,
but came up with a plan to use Cunningham, who was 3rd string at the time on 3rd
downs. He eventually was part of a revolving door rotation with Matt Cavanaugh
and Ron Jaworski finishing with 5 starts, 1,391 Yards Passing with 8 TD’s, and a
2nd on the team 540 yards rushing. In 1987 Cunningham was finally installed as
the full time starter, but the 1987 Strike limited the opportunities for the
Eagles, who didn’t field a quality “Strike Team” and had 3 losses finishing with
a record of 7-9. Cunningham however flourished under the coaching of friend and
mentor Quarterbacks Coach Doug Scovil. Cunningham finished with 2,786 Yards
Passing with 23 Touchdowns and 505 Yards rushing with 3 TD’s. Cunningham was
named to his first Pro Bowl joining James Harris and Warren Moon as the only
African Americans Quarterbacks to receive the honor. In the 1988-1989 Cunningham
was a one-man gang on offense leading the team in rushing (624 Yards) and
passing (3,808 Yards with 24 TD’s). He and a stifling defense led by Reggie
White led the team to a 10-6 record and won the NFC East division for the first
time since Dick Vermeil left. Their season however ended in the playoffs against
the Chicago Bears in the “Fog Bowl”. Cunningham however was recognized being
named to his 2nd Pro Bowl and finished 2nd to Boomer Esiason in AP MVP Voting.
At the start of the 1989-1990 season Cunningham and the Eagles renegotiated
Cunningham’s contract making him one of the highest paid players in the NFL (3
Year, 4 Million Dollar Contract). He was anointed the “NFL’s Ultimate Weapon” by
Sports Illustrated and led the Eagles back to the playoffs again. In the
playoffs the Eagles lost to the Rams 21-7 and he shouldered most of the blame.
Cunningham finished with 3,400 Yards Passing with 21 TD’s and 621 Yards Rushing
and led his team in rushing for the 3rd straight year. He was named an alternate
to the Pro Bowl. In 1990 the Eagles knew that they had to save the position of
Head Coach Buddy Ryan and Cunningham responded with an MVP season rushing for
942 Yards with 5 TD’s and 3,466 Yards Passing with 30 TD’s. He was named to his
3rd straight Pro Bowl. He however had to fight for his starting position with
Jim McMahon in the shadows. In the playoff loss to the Redskins, Cunningham was
replaced for a series by McMahon and was not happy with the organization. Ryan
was shortly fired and Cunningham was said to be part of the movement to have him
removed. Cunningham was poised for another big year in 1991, but was hurt in the
first game of the season when Bryce Paup tackled him tearing his ACL and ending
his season. The ironic part of the injury was Cunningham was in the pocket and
not running around when he got hurt. Cunningham returned in 1992 throwing for
2775 yards with 19 TD’s and running for 549 Yards and 5 TD’s, but never seemed
his self in Richie Kotite’s offense and was very erratic as the Eagles finally
win a playoff game against the New Orleans Saints 36-20, but lose in the
Divisional Round to the Dallas Cowboys 34-10. In 1993 the injury bug (Broken
Leg) ended Cunningham’s season in the 4th game. This marked the end basically of
his Eagles career as he struggled in 1994 in a part time role and losing his
starting job to Rodney Peete in 1995. He finished his Eagle career in a playoff
game losing to Dallas when he had to enter the game for an injured Peete, but
struggled due to him leaving the team to tend to his pregnant wife during the
preparation for the game. Cunningham had a brief “Retirement” in 1996, but
returned in 1997 with the Minnesota Vikings. Cunningham immediately returned to
his old form forming a deadly combination with Randy Moss and Cris Carter and
led the Vikings to the divisional playoffs in 1997. In 1998 Cunningham and the
Vikings were unstoppable going 15-1. Cunningham finished with 3704 Yards Passing
and 34 TD’s, plus 127 yards rushing. The Vikings stormed into the playoffs and
missed the Super Bowl by the slightest of margins losing to the Atlanta Falcons
30-27. In 1999 Cunningham struggled and was benched again and moved into the
backup role that he ended his career doing finishing with the Dallas Cowboys in
2000 and Baltimore Ravens in 2001. Cunningham finished his career with 29979
yards passing with 207 yards and 4928 yards Rushing with 35 TD’s; his rushing
total is a NFL Record for quarterbacks. Cunningham was known for his spectacular
play on the field, but was unable to get to the big game like Williams and
injuries precluded him during some of his best chances. Cunningham was known as
a spectacular player, but football is a team game and he was said to have an
aloofness that rubbed fans and some teammates the wrong way. He was the first
run/pass threat African American to make it in the NFL. He had a long and
distinguished 16-year career that may end in the Hall of Fame.

Vince EvansHt/Wt:
6-0.5/210,Team(s): Chicago Bears, Oakland Raiders, Washington Redskins, Chicago
Blitz (USFL), and Denver Gold (USFL) (Drafted in 1977, 6th Rd by Chicago
Bears)College: Univ. of Southern
Cal.BQB-SITE's View: A veteran of over 100 league games combined
from the NFL and USFL. Had an extremely long career spanning from
1977 to 1995. He began his pro career in 1977 playing for the Chicago Bears. Being the
starting quarterback for the Bears gave Evans the great opportunity and pleasure
to play with the Hall of Fame RB Walter Payton. Evans attended USC where he was a
quality starter. He was noticed by the scouts for his mobility and strong
arm. Had his best season in 1981 appearing in all 16 games and
throwing for 11 TD's. Had 8 Rushing TD's in 1980, which was good for 8th
in the NFL. Played well for the Chicago Blitz and Denver Gold in the USFL
leading them into the playoffs. Known for leading the Raiders to a
thrilling 24-20 Victory over the Jets in October 1993 at the age of 38. In
the game he was 14-for-22 passing for 247 yards and had completed five passes in
a row during the game-winning drive. Finished his NFL career with 106 games
played with 704 completions for 9485 yards and 52 TD's, 1129 yards rushing
w/ 14 TD's.

Joe GilliamHt/Wt: 6-2/210, Teams: Pittsburgh Steelers, Washington Federals (USFL)
(Drafted in 1971, 6th Rd by Pittsburgh Steelers) College: Tennessee StateBQB-SITE's View: Gilliam followed Eldridge Dickey’s path at Tennessee State
University. Gilliam played from 1969 to 1971 at TSU, breaking every major record
at the school and other historically black college records. He was known to be
one of the most popular players in Tennessee History and gained his nickname,
because he was said to have is name called all along Jefferson Street, which was
the main road in Nashville, Tennessee. He was an All-American in 1970 and 1971.
He was an 11th-round draft pick by the Steelers in 1972 NFL Draft. He became a
starter when some players including Quarterback Terry Bradshaw went on strike.
When all of the players returned, Gilliam kept the starting job through six
games with a record of 4-1-1. He however faltered and Bradshaw returned to lead
the Steelers to a Super Bowl victory. Gilliam was never fully except by the
“Blue Collar” Pittsburgh area, which was not ready for an African American
quarterback in the early ‘70’s. Gilliam received death threats and other hostile
treatment including lots of “hate” mail. The outside pressure and on the field
struggles regrettably led Gilliam to his unfortunate history of drug abuse.
Gilliam played very little for the Steelers in the 1975 season (Another Super
Bowl Victory) and was cut in the off-season. He was signed for a brief period by
the New Orleans Saints in 1976, but was cut for disciplinary reason. Gilliam
could not beat his drug demons and even an attempt to revive his career with the
Washington Federals of the USFL failed. He was homeless for a little while and
even pawned his Super Bowl rings to pay for drugs, but recovered with the help
of his father, he got back Super Bowl rings and started a football camp for
children at Tennessee State, which included drug counseling. Sadly he died of a
sudden heart attack in December of 2000.

James HarrisHt/Wt: 6-4/210, Teams: Buffalo Bills (AFL), LA Rams, San Diego Chargers
(Drafted in 1969, 8th Rd by Buffalo Bills - AFL) College: GramblingBQB-SITE's View: Harris
came on the AFL/NFL scene in 1969 when he was drafted out of Grambling in the
8th Round of the 1969 AFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills. Harris played at Grambling
from 1966-68 and as a senior, he passed for 1,972 yards and 21 touchdowns. In
three years as Grambling’s starting quarterback, he led the Tigers to a 24-5-1
record. He also had set numerous school and historically black college records
in his collegiate career. Harris, nicknamed “Shack”, was different from past
black quarterbacks in that he was a “Pocket Passer” with comparable size of Joe
Namath at 6’4 and weighing 210 pounds. He also had bad knees, which affected his
mobility and forced him to be a pure passer. Teams knew in picking him there was
little chance in converting him to “Black” positions (WR, DB, or TE). Harris was
forewarned by his legendary college coach Eddie Robinson of the pitfalls of a
black man playing quarter in professional football. He pointed to the examples
of how coaches and personnel men had treated Eldridge Dickey (Converted to WR)
and Marlin Briscoe (Cut and Converted). Harris was undaunted and wanted to play
quarterback at the next level. Harris after being drafted by the Bills was glad
to follow in the footsteps and of his trailblazer teammate Marlin Briscoe, who
was a receiver on the team at the time. In 1969, Harris becomes the first black
quarterback to be named a team's starter for the first game of a season. In the first game versus the
New York Jets played in Buffalo, the Bills lose 33-19. Harris goes on to
play in 4 games in the 1969 season. Harris battled injuries and languished
on the Bills bench behind Jack Kemp and Tom Flores appearing in only 18 games
from 1969 to 1971. It was after the 1971 season that new Bills coach Lou Saban
determined that Harris was not a pro quarterback and cut him. Harris with no
takers did not play in the 1972 season. Before the 1973 season Chuck Knox of Los
Angeles Rams gave Harris the chance to return to the NFL as a backup QB. By
1974, Harris was the starting quarterback for the Rams and the team was winning.
He was the first African American to start a NFL Playoff game, leading the Rams
into the NFC Championship where they lost to the Vikings. He was named the first
African American QB to the Pro Bowl for the 1974-75 season, where he was named
the MVP of the game. His numbers for the 1974-75 season were 106 Completion on
198 attempts for 1544 yards and 11 TD’s in only 11 games. He continued to be the
Rams starter until the 1976-1977 season and then went to the San Diego Chargers
in 1977, where he started and then was a backup until 1980. Harris was the first
African American QB to experience lengthy success as a starter in both the
regular season and playoffs. He also paved the way for future African American
Quarterbacks to play in the Pro Bowl against the league’s best players. Injuries
and Discrimination marked portions of Harris’ 12 year career, but he served as a
mentor and role model for future African American quarterbacks. Harris later
became a trailblazer for African Americans in a front office role. He was
instrumental in putting together the 2000 Super Bowl Champion Baltimore Ravens
team and was named General Manager/Head of Personnel for the Jacksonville
Jaguars in 2003.

Steve McNairHt/Wt: 6-2/235, Teams:
Houston Oilers, Tennessee Titans, Baltimore Ravens (Drafted in 1991 by Hou. 1st
Round, 3rd Overall)College: Alcorn StBQB-Site's View: The game’s ultimate warrior, who has survived various injuries including
strains, fractures, and bruises to play every week. He ain’t as flashy as his
“Air McNair” Alcorn State (3rd in 1994 Heisman Balloting from 1AA school) or
early Oiler days, but he is a consummate winner that always knows how to move
the chains. He has led his teams to the playoffs five times and has respectable
5-5 record in them and let’s not forget he and Eddie George led the Titans
within 1 yard of possibly winning Super Bowl XXXIV. I know it was business, but
what was Tennessee thinking letting a 2 time Pro Bowl player and Co-MVP (2003)
leave for almost nothing (traded for a 4th Rd Pick) and then watching him lead
his team to 13 victories including one over them. Has six 3,000 yards passing
seasons on his resume and is one of the all time leaders in rushing as a
quarterback with 3570 yards. Borderline Canton candidate, who will need a couple
more good years in Baltimore. McNair is the starter for the
Baltimore Ravens after being traded by the Tennessee Titans for a 4th Round pick
(2007) in the 2006 Off Season. The traded marked the end of a long, but
nasty end of McNair's Titans career. Before the trade the Titans banned
McNair from their training facility and later lost a grievance. He has led the
Titans from being a displaced franchise (Houston Oilers) to a perennial AFC
Title contender. He is winding his career down as a “Warrior” who might walk away from the game soon. The only thing he has left to accomplish to win a Super Bowl and that probably will not happen in Tennessee in the near future. In 2002, McNair led the Titans to an AFC South Title and 1st round playoff bye. McNair had to battle injuries to his ankle, but he started every game and proved to be a worthy starter. McNair is a double threat, can give opposing defenses headaches with strong arm in air or explosive running ability on ground, excellent pocket passer. McNair owns a record of 20-18 as NFL starter and has thrown for or run for at least one touchdown in 30 of 38 NFL
starts. He became the youngest (25) and only fourth quarterback in franchise
history to post 3,000-yard passing season. McNair is a dangerous runner who has
ability to run around or through opposing defenders and he led all quarterbacks
in rushing yards (674 in, 97 and 559 in, 98). His 1997 total was the
third-highest rushing total by a quarterback in NFL history behind Randall
Cunningham (942 yards in 1990) and Bobby Douglas (968 yards in 1972). McNair has
started 33 consecutive games entering 1999 season, which ranks fourth among
current NFL quarterbacks, already fourth on Titans, all-time career passing list
with 7,659 yards. He was the first quarterback drafted and third overall player
selected in 1995 NFL draft out of Alcorn State. McNair had to prove that he was
capable of performing on the larger stage coming from a Division 1AA and
historically black university. McNair proved that he was up to the task by
leading the Titans to the Super Bowl (Super Bowl XXXIV) and becoming the second
BQB to Start the game. In the game the Titans came a yard short of winning the
game, but McNair has proven that he is a winner. In 1998 McNair started 16 games
and set career highs in attempts (492), completions (289), yards (3,228), and
passing touchdowns (15). In 1997 McNair started 16 games for Oilers. In his
first full season as starter, he helped team set franchise mark for fewest
interceptions in a single season (13) and led team in rushing TDs with eight and
ranked second on team in rushing with 674 yards, third most in NFL history by
QB, while averaging 6.7 yards-per-carry. In 1996 McNair saw action in nine games
with four starts and had an overall passer rating 90.6. In 1995 McNair was
placed on the inactive list as a dressed-third quarterback for first eight games
of the season. Saw his first NFL action on Oilers' last two series of fourth
quarter at Browns (11/5). McNair’s College Highlights include: Only player in
NCAA history to gain over 16,000 yards (16,823) in total offense during his
college career. Set collegiate record by averaging 400.55 yards in total offense
per game. Became only the third player in Division I-AA to throw for 100 TDs in
a career (119). Owns every Alcorn State game, season and career passing and
total offense record...Finished with 928 completions in 1,673 attempts (55.5%)
for 14,496 yards passing with 119 TDs and 58 INTs. Added 2,327 yards and 33 TDs
on 375 rushing attempts (6.2 avg.). Also was an Unanimous All-America
choice.BQB_Site believes that Steve McNair has been a good example of a NFL
Quarterback. He plays through injuries and is the unquestioned leader of the
Titans. He took his team to the Super Bowl and almost won. He has a chance of becoming one of the first African American QB’s in the Hall of Fame. Strengths: Prototypical Size, Extremely Tough Competitor, Great Scrambler, and Strong Leadership Skills.Weaknesses: Takes too Many Hits, Doesn't Throw Enough, and Nagging Injuries.

Warren MoonHt/Wt: 6-2.5/210,Team(s): Houston Oilers, Minnesota Vikings, Kansas City
Chiefs, Seattle Seahawks, and Edmonton Eskimos (CFL) (Signed as Undrafted F\A in
1979 by Edmonton - CFL)College:
University of WashingtonBQB-SITE's View: The
1st African American Quarterback inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in
July of 2006. Moon
had grown up in Southern California and experienced some racism, but on the
larger part was viewed as just another player. Blessed with a rifle for an arm,
Moon always knew quarterback was the position that he wanted to play. He began
to excel at the position in youth football and it continued in High School.
After spending a season at West LA Junior College, Moon
accepted a scholarship to Washington, because they did not ask him to switch
positions and he was going to get the chance to play quarterback. Other PAC 10
schools including USC and UCLA were looking at him to play other positions. Moon
went on to have a stellar career at Washington, leading them to victory in the
nationally televised 1978 Rose Bowl. Even though Moon had excelled, he went
undrafted in the 1978 Draft and signed with the Edmonton Eskimos of the CFL.
Moon again showed that he was a true talent and led the Eskimos to five Grey
Cups. He passed for 21,228 yards and 144 TD's in just six seasons in the CFL.
Finally in 1984 with his stock never higher the Houston Oilers decided to sign
him to a Free Agent contract. The ironic thing from the signing was that there
were still coaches and personnel men that believed Moon wasn’t good enough for
the NFL. Moon led the Oilers to the playoffs seven straight years , operating
their “Run and Shoot” offense to near perfection. If he had a defensive
compliment, the Oilers probably could have made it to the Super Bowl one of
those years. After leaving the Oilers, Moon enjoyed success playing for the
Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Seahawks and Kansas City Chiefs. When he retired in
2000 at the age of 44, Moon had thrown for more than 49,000 yards 391 touchdowns
in the NFL. Moon was selected to nine Pro Bowls and only Dan Marino, Fran
Tarkenton and John Elway lead him in some statistics. Only Marino and Elway have
completed more passes and have more yards in NFL History. He finished with more
completions, passing yards, and touchdowns than anyone if you combine his CFL
and NFL numbers (70,553 yards and 435 touchdowns).

Rodney PeeteHt/Wt:
6-0.5/230,Team(s): Detroit Lions, Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles,
Washington Redskins, Oakland Raiders, and Car. Panthers (Drafted in 1989, 6th Rd
by Detroit Lions)College: Univ.
of Southern Cal.BQB-SITE's
View: Rodney Peete was a 14
Year veteran and recently ended his career with the Carolina
Panthers. Peete passed for over 3,000 yards and 15 TD’s in his last significant
action in 2002.
Peete was a 1989 draft pick of the Detroit Lions in the 6th Round. He has lasted
the majority of his career as backup and spot starter for the Lions, Eagles,
Redskins, Raiders, Cowboys, and Panthers. His best year was in 1995, when he
compiled a 9-3 mark as a starter and was the quarterback of record in all 10 of
the Eagles regular season victories. He particularly enjoyed a spectacular
outing for Philadelphia in wild card playoff victory versus Detroit (12/30/95),
completing 17 of 25 passes for 270 yards and three touchdowns with no
interceptions and directing the offense to five touchdowns and three field goals
on its first 11 drives to help the unit produce an Eagles playoff record 452
yards of total offense. Peete’s College Highlights Include: Rodney concluded his
career as Southern Cal's all-time leader with 1,081 pass attempts, 630
completions and 8,225 passing yards. He posted a 31-17 mark as a starter for the
Trojans while guiding the team to the Rose Bowl in each of his final two
seasons. He still ranks as the school's all-time leader with 8,640 yards of
total offense, 1,371 combined rushing and passing attempts and 1,081 pass
attempts and ranks second in school annals for completions and with 54 touchdown
passes. He currently ranks second in school history for a single season with 223
completions, 2,812 passing yards and 2,880 yards of total offense. Meanwhile,
his five touchdown passes thrown versus Stanford in 1987 still stand as a school
mark. A runner-up for the Heisman to Andre Ware. Peete was the winner of the
Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year as a
senior in 1988, Rodney completed 223-of-359 passes for 2,812 yards and 18
touchdowns with 12 interceptions and also earned first-team All-America and
first-team All-Pac 10 recognition. He completed 197-of-332 passes for 2,709
yards and 21 touchdowns with 12 interceptions as a junior in 1987. Rodney threw
for 2,138 yards and 10 touchdowns with 15 interceptions on 160-of-305 passing as
a sophomore in 1986. He connected on 50-of- 85 passes for 566 yards and five
touchdowns with three interceptions his freshman year in 1985. He also was an
All-Pac 10 third baseman for the Southern Cal baseball team in 1988 after
hitting .338 with 12 home runs and 46 RBIs as a senior. After batting .297 with
18 home runs and 84 RBIs in three years of baseball, Rodney was selected by the
Oakland A's in the 13th round of the 1989 college draft. I believe that
Rodney Peete has had a solid NFL career, but not a spectacular one. In college
Peete was often compared to cross-town rival Troy Aikman. Aikman definitely had
the better career, but Peete has distinguished himself as an effective player off
of the bench and as a spot starter. Unfortunately his career never was able to
fully blossom in Detroit due to management and injuries, but he has been able to
sustain a solid career in the NFL. He along with Randall Cunningham and Doug
Williams paved the way for many African American qb's.

Fritz Pollard Ht/Wt: 5-8,
165,Team(s): Akron - APFA, Hammond Pros (Signed in 1914 by Akron)College: Brown University BQB-SITE's View: One of best “Signal Callers” of this time was Frederick (Fritz)
Pollard a back from Brown (Class of 1918). Though only 5’9 and 165 lbs, Pollard
ran with a hard slashing style that defied his size. At Brown as a freshman in
1915, Pollard led his team to the Rose Bowl against Washington State, becoming
the first African-American to play in the Rose Bowl. In his senior year he was
named to Walter Camp’s All- American first team, the first African American in
the backfield. Professionally he played in the American Professional Football
Association (Precursor to NFL) for seven years for Akron (1919-1921, 1925-26),
Milwaukee (1922), Hammond (1923, 1925) and Providence (1926). Even though
Pollard faced discriminatory tactics by fans and opposing players, including the
racially insensitive song “Bye Bye Blackbird” and dressing away from his
teammates, he continued to prosper as he did in college. He led the Akron Pros
to the championship in 1920, attaining All League status and was lauded along
with Jim Thorpe as the major gate attractions. Later on he was the first African
American head coach in the NFL (Hammond, Indiana) and is credited on the Fritz
Pollard website (www.fritzpollard.com) and by the Pro Football Hall of Fame as
the first African American Quarterback, playing the position and taking direct
snaps from center for the Hammond Pros in a couple of games in 1923. He was
elected to the College Hall of Fame (1954, 1st African American) and was finally
inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2005 almost 80 years after his
playing days were over. He was a true pioneer of the game and left a lasting
legacy for future African American Quarterbacks and
players.

Photo credit: Pro Football Hall of Fame

Kordell StewartHt/Wt: 6-1/210, Team(s):
Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens - (Drafted in 1994, 2nd Rd Steelers)College: ColoradoBQB-SITE's View: Currently Kordell Stewart is
listed as the 2nd QB on the Pittsburgh Steelers Depth Chart behind Tommy Maddox.
Stewart has had an up and down career in the NFL. He has shown flashes of
brilliance, but he is also known for the game-killing turnover. Stewart has been
on the Steelers roster for 8 seasons and I believe he has played his last game
for the Steelers. The intriguing point about Stewart is, he is a tremendous
athlete who could play QB, RB, or WR in the NFL and succeed. Early in his career
Stewart was nicknamed "Slash" by head coach Bill Cowher, because he played QB,
WR and RB as a rookie. The "Slash" role was a blessing and a curse for Stewart,
it showed he was a “Team Player” willing to help out on the field, but he
probably digressed as a pure QB. The “Slash” role definitely confused defenses
and made offensive coordinators want to have their own “Slash”. Other QB’s who
have also tried to imitate Stewart include Antwaan Randle El, Troy Woodbury,
David Dinkins, Hines Ward and others. The “Slash” experiment looked to be an
early success for Stewart, when was selected to the Pro Bowl in 1997, but his
development with the Steelers was stunted by having different coordinators
(Gailey, Lewis, Gilbride, and Mularkey) every season and the Steelers losing in
the AFC Championship 2 times under Stewart. In the 2002-2003 season, Stewart was
coming off of a Pro Bowl season in 2001, but struggled early and lost his
starting position to NFL Comeback Player of the Year Tommy Maddox. The Steelers
started the season 1-3, but Maddox was able to rally them to an AFC North title
and lead them far into the playoffs. Stewart spent the final weeks and playoffs
of the 2002 season on the Steelers’ bench being a cheerleader. In 2001, Stewart
had a great regular season, but the offense stalled in the AFC Championship
against the New England Patriots and Stewart threw two costly end of game
interceptions. In 1998, Stewart threw for a career-high 252 completions but his
overall production was down from the previous year. Finished with a 62.9
quarterback rating, completing 252-of-458 passes for 2,560 yards, 11 touchdowns,
and 18 interceptions. Also rushed for 406 yards on 81 carries, a 5.0-yard
average, and two TD's. The 1997 season was the year that Stewart showed he could
play the quarterback position. Stewart started in all 16 regular-season and both
postseason contests. Stewart had an outstanding first season as a QB, becoming
only the fourth player in Steelers history to surpass 3,000 passing yards. He
was selected as an alternate to the Pro Bowl and finished the season with 3,020
passing yards, completed 236 of 440 pass attempts, 21 touchdowns and 17
interceptions for a 75.2 pass rating. He also was the team's second-leading
rusher, gaining 476 yards on 88 carries. He also had a long run of 74 yards
versus Baltimore (10/5), which is the third-longest TD run by a quarterback in
NFL history. He also became the first quarterback in the NFL to throw 20 or more
TD passes and rush for 10 or more TD’s. He set an NFL mark as the only player to
have two games with at least two rushing TD’s and three passing TD’s in a game.
Also had the longest postseason touchdown run in team history with his 40-yard
sprint against New England (1/3) that was also the longest rush of his
postseason career and the third playoff rushing touchdown. Stewart also set
personal postseason highs for passing attempts (36) and yards (201) against
Denver in the AFC Championship game (Lost game after costly interception). In
1996, Stewart continued his “Slash” ways, throwing 30 passes, catching 17 passes
for 293 yards with 3 TD’s and rushing 39 times for 171 yards and 5TDs. In 1995,
Stewart burst on the scene as “Slash”, being named Steelers Rookie of the Year.
Stewart was used in multiple positions and ways. He even punted once for over 40
yards. Stewart accounted for 30 first downs (14 rushing, 13 receiving, 3
passing) including the postseason. Played 30 snaps at quarterback including the
postseason and became the 2nd BQB to appear in Super Bowl (Super Bowl XXII –
Against Dallas Cowboys). Stewart’s College Highlights at Colorado Include:
Holding school all-time records with 456 completions on 785 passes with 7,770
yards in total offense. Also holds school's all-time records for average yards
per completion (13.8), yards in total offense per game (235.5) and yards per
offensive play (6.36). Threw for 300 yards 6 times and had only 2.4% of his
passes intercepted. As a senior, Stewart was named to the All-American 2nd team
selection by AP and made the play of the year with a “Hail Mary” to beat
Michigan on national TV. I believe Stewart was a trendsetter in establishing
the “Slash” role in the football, but he might have been a detriment to his own
growth as a QB. When Stewart entered the NFL from Colorado, he said he wanted to
be a QB only, but changed his mind to get a chance. Now whenever Stewart has
difficulty, management and fans call for him to be “Slash”.

George
TaliaferroHt/Wt: 6-3/230,Team(s): LA Dons - 1949 (AAFC), NY Yanks -
1951, Baltimore Colts - 1953, Philadelphia Eagles - 1955 (Signed as Undrafted
F\A in 1949 by LA Dons - AAFC)College: Indiana BQB-SITE's View: Around
the same time period George Taliaferro, a single-wing tailback from Indiana
University started two games as a T-formation quarterback for the Baltimore
Colts in 1953. He only got the chance to play Quarterback, because of a rash of
injuries to the three other QB’s on the roster and the coach relenting.
Taliaferro took the snap from center in a “Shotgun” fashion and had to decide to
pass or run very quickly. After those two games, he played Halfback primarily
and only attempted two more passes in his career. Taliaferro was a big strong
runner, who was considered as tough to bring down as Marion Motley. At Indiana
Taliaferro was known for his excellent play on the field and gaining access for
African American students to campus and public facilities during the mid 1940’s.
He led Indiana to the Big 10 championship in 1945. After a stellar career at
Indiana, he was the first African American picked in the NFL Draft by the
Chicago Bears in the thirteenth round of the 1949 draft, but elected to sign
with the Los Angeles Dons of the AAFC. He played with the Dons in 1949; New York
Yanks 1950-51; Dallas Texans 1952; Baltimore Colts 1953-54; Philadelphia Eagles
1955. He was selected to the Pro Bowl in 1951, 1952, and 1953. He finished his
passing career with 61 Games Played, 47 Completions from 160 Attempts for 843
yards with 6 TD’s and 15 Interceptions. His statistics show that he was a better
runner than a passer throughout his career, finishing with 1794 yards and 10
TD’s rushing, but you never know if Taliaferro could have been a passing QB if
he had the right coaching and support.

Willie
ThrowerHt/Wt: 5-11/182,Team(s): Chicago Bears, Toronto Argonauts (CFL),
and Winnipeg Blue Bombers (CFL) (Signed as F\A in 1952 by Chicago
Bears)College: Michigan State
BQB-SITE's View: In 1953, seven years after Washington and
Strode broke the modern color barrier in pro football; Backup Chicago Bears QB
Willie Thrower became the first African-American quarterback to solely play
quarterback in an NFL game on October 18, 1953 against the San Francisco 49ers.
He played under center and received the snap directly, making him the first
African American QB since Pollard in 1923. Thrower a native of New Kensington,
Pennsylvania had already been the first African American QB in the Big 10
conference, playing for Michigan State from 1950 to 1952, helping them win the
National Championship in 1952. In his historical game, Thrower went 3 for 8 for
27 yards in a 35 to 28 loss. What was unfortunate about the game was George
Blanda, who had struggled was reinserted into the game at the 5 yard line to
complete a drive Thrower had started. After his debut against the 49ers, Thrower
never appeared in another NFL game. Before the next season Thrower, who made the
Bears team in 1953 as basically a “walk-on” was cut the following year in 1954.
Thrower wanting to play QB and without any other takers in the NFL decided to go
to the Canadian Football League, playing for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and semi
pro in Toronto for four years before injuries shortened his career. He retired
at age 27. His feat of a black man playing quarterback was considered such an
oddity for the time that “Ripley’s Believe It or Not” featured him in a story.
Thrower had a good outlook on his brief time at QB in the NFL and told The
Valley News Dispatch of Tarentum, Pa., before he passed away in 2002. "I look at
it like this: I was like the Jackie Robinson of football. A Black quarterback
was unheard of before I hit the pros,"

Jay WalkerHt/Wt: 6-3/229, Team(s):
New England Patriots, Minnesota Vikings and Barcelona Dragons
(NFL Europe), (Drafted in 7th Rd in1994, New England Patriots)College: Howard and Long Beach State BQB-SITE's View: One of the many young quarterbacks that followed veterans
like Doug Williams, Warren Moon (teammate in Minnesota), James Harris, and
others into the NFL. Walker found a blessing disguise when he transferred from Long Beach State University after football was
dropped to HBCU Howard University. At Howard, he set single-season records in pass completions
with 223 and in passing yardage with 3,508. He also holds the single-game
record for pass completions with 38. He was selected to the All-MEAC teams of
1992 and 1993 and was voted Offensive Player of the Year in 1993. He was voted
All-American by the Sheridan Broadcasting Network. Also led the
Bison to an undefeated regular season in1993 and a national I-AA ranking of #8.
Spent four years in the NFL and NFL Europe before returning to Howard and
graduating in 1998.
Currently, he is CEO and President of Walker Financial Services, broadcasts
football games on ESPN, and serves in the Maryland House of Representatives.

John Walton Ht/Wt: 6-3/215,Team(s): LA Rams, Philadelphia Eagles, Chicago Fire
(WFL), San Antonio Wings (WFL), and Boston/New Orleans Breakers (USFL)
(Drafted in 1976, 12th Rd by Philadelphia Eagles)College: Elizabeth City College BQB-SITE's View:A quality backup, who
always played well in the NFL preseason. He was said to be like a coach on
the field by Coach Dick Coury. He started his pro playing career with the
Los Angeles Rams in 1969, moving on to the Chicago Fire (1974) and San Antonio
Wings ('75) of the World Football League before joining the Philadelphia Eagles
in 1976. He left the Eagles and the NFL in 1979, at 32. Later came back
with the Boston/New Orleans Breakers of the USFL. Was a favorite of
Philadelphia Eagles Coach Dick Vermeil for his smart decisions. Played an
awesome game in relief of Ron Jaworski on a Monday Night game in week 11 in
Dallas leading the Eagles to a 31-21 victory. Later coached at is alma
mater. Finished his NFL career with 15 games played throwing for 338 yards
and 3 TD's.

Andre WareHt/Wt: 6-3/230,Team(s): Detroit Lions, Oakland Raiders, and Berlin Thunder
(NFL Europe) (Drafted in 1991, 1st Rd by Detroit Lions)College: University of Houston BQB-SITE's View: A major breakthrough in College Football came when
Quarterback Andre Ware of Houston was named the 1989 Winner of the Heisman
Trophy. Ware became the first African American Quarterback to win the award
after others had contended, but were passed over. Ware broke almost every major
college record for passing while leading the Houston Cougars “Run and Shoot”
explosive offense. He in his Heisman Trophy winning junior season he threw for
4,699 yards and 46 TD’s and lead the Cougars to a 9-2 record. He later spent
four years with Detroit after being drafted in the 1st Round in, 11th overall in
the 1990 NFL Draft. He battled injuries and competition from Erik Kramer and
Rodney Peete, playing in 14 games, while starting 6 of them for the Lions. He
also spent time in the CFL with Ottawa in 1995 and Toronto (Backup on Grey Cup
Champion 1997 team). He attempted one last comeback to the NFL in 2001 playing
for the Berlin Thunder of NFL Europe after being allocated by the Oakland
Raiders. He fractured his shoulder in the fifth game of the NFLE season and was
cut in training camp by the Oakland Raiders. After being cut Ware retired and
returned to the Houston area, starting his own computer consulting business and
commentating college football games.
Ware unfortunately never made the impact that was thought of him after winning
the Heisman.

Doug
WilliamsHt/Wt: 6-3/230,Team(s): Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Oklahoma/Arizona
Outlaws (USFL), Washington Redskins (Drafted in 1978, 1st Rd by Tampa Bay Bucs,
17th Overall)College: Grambling
BQB-SITE's View: The biggest contributor in my opinion to the
journey of the African American Quarterback. Doug Williams of Grambling
experienced the entire cycle of the African American Quarterback. Williams more
than any other past or present player experienced the extreme highs and lows of
being an African American Quarterback. Williams went from a Potential High
School Converted QB to College All American to Professional Starter to Vilified
Holdout to the USFL to Unwanted Again to back in the NFL to Super Bowl Hero to
“Black balled” in his professional career that spanned from 1978 to 1989.
Williams from Louisiana started off as a High School Quarterback, whose raw
skills were waiting to explode. Being from the South, Williams was not offered a
chance to play quarterback by any of the larger SEC schools looking at him. He
chose to go to historically black college Grambling and learn under the guidance
of the Legendary Eddie Robinson. Williams was a record setting quarterback at
Grambling, finishing in 1977 with a NCAA Record 93 Touchdowns and 8,411 yards
passing. During his stay there, Williams followed in the footsteps of his “Big
Brother” James Harris. Harris had already blazed the trail of an African
American quarterback going from Grambling to the NFL. Harris had experienced
racism on and off of the football field and gave Williams first hand knowledge
of what to expect in the NFL. Williams had the size of Harris at 6’3, 210 lbs,
but he could move around better than Harris. Before the draft Coach Robinson and
Harris advised Williams about how the draft usually treated African American
Quarterbacks, but to everyone’s surprise the former expansion Tampa Bay
Buccaneers selected Williams in the 1st Round, 17th overall of the 1978 NFL
Draft. Williams became the first African-American quarterback drafted in the
first round since the 1970 merger and he would not be asked to convert to
another position unlike Eldridge Dickey before him. Coach John McKay believed in
Williams and thought he was the Buccaneers quarterback of the future. Williams
held out for 1 week against Hugh Culverhouse, who was known for his
mismanagement and unwillingness to pay players. Williams soon learned how a
high-profile African American Quarterback was treated in the South when he
didn’t follow the program. He received hate mail and harsh criticism from fans
and the media. After signing he appeared in 10 games, throwing for 1170 yards
and 7 TD’s, plus 1 rushing touchdown. The following season in 1979 – 1980,
Williams established himself as a player on the rise. He threw for 2448 yards
and 18 TD’s and ran for additional 2 touchdowns leading the Buccaneers to NFC
Central Division title and a playoff victory over the Eagles, losing to the Rams
in the NFC Championship. He again led the Buccaneers in the playoffs in
1980-1981 and 1981-1982, where they lost to Dallas each year. The Buccaneers
shortcomings in the playoffs were due to a lack of a running game and a porous
defense, but Williams was blamed by the Tampa Bay area. Williams soon became a
target of vandalism to his home and vile hate mail filled with racial epithets.
When Williams held out against Culverhouse again in 1983, things really got ugly
between Williams and the fans and media. Williams believed that he was grossly
underpaid and in his biography Quarterblack: Shattering the NFL Myth he stated,
“Then after five years and two division titles, I was only the 43rd-highest-paid
quarterback in the league. I held out again, and eventually went to the USFL. My
wife had just died of a brain tumor. There was a three-month-old baby girl to
take care of. You couldn't believe some of the letters I'd gotten in Tampa.
Everyone heard about the package I got with the watermelon inside and the note,
'Throw this, (epithet). They might be able to catch it.' It got so that every
time I got a letter with no return address, I wouldn't open it.” Unable to work
out a deal with the Buccaneers and without takers in the rest of the NFL,
Williams signed with Oklahoma Outlaws of the USFL. Williams had thought that
things would be better in the USFL, but he joined at a time when the league was
struggling. The Outlaws had trouble making payroll and moved to Arizona after 1
season. They played one more year and the league folded soon after. Williams
finished with 6757 yards passing with 36 TD’s and 4 TD’s Rushing. Once the USFL
closed down, Williams was unable to find a job in the NFL due to his
outspokenness and took a job at Southern University working with the receivers.
While not coaching, he was home figuring that his career was over when Joe Gibbs
looking for a veteran backup signed him in 1987. Williams played off and on
during the season as starter Jay Schroeder struggled with injuries and
effectiveness. Joe Gibbs decided to bench Schroeder for the playoffs and started
Williams in his place. Williams responded by beating Chicago and Minnesota to
get to Super Bowl XXII against the Denver Broncos and making the first African
American Quarterback to start in the Super Bowl. Leading up to the game, the
Redskins were underdogs (3 ˝ points) and everyone expected John Elway to win the
game. Elway was cast as the “Golden Boy” and Williams as the villain by the
media. The media continued to hound Williams with questions about him being the
first black to start in a Super Bowl game and one member asked him the galling
question “So how long have you been a black quarterback?”, which he did not
answer. In the game Williams twisted his knee in the first quarter and the
Broncos jumped out to a 10-0 lead. Williams was taken out of the game for a few
plays, but responded in the second quarter with a Super Bowl record 228 yards
passing, four touchdowns. He finished the game with Super Bowl record 340 yards
and 4 TD’s in the 42-10 triumph and was named the MVP. His victory was the
defining moment for African American Quarterbacks and future African American
Quarterbacks always state the significance of the accomplishment and name
Williams as a life-long hero. Ironically before the 1988-1989 NFL season again
Williams had to fight for a better contract. This time the Redskins gave in to
pressure and signed him to a lucrative deal. Williams responded with a season of
2609 yards and 15 TD’s in only 11 games. In 1989 – 1990 season Williams only
played in 4 games and the Redskins released him. Williams was unable to find any
positions in the NFL even after being a Super Bowl MVP. Around NFL he had been
“Black Balled” for his outspokenness and there was a definite bias held by NFL
Personnel men and an attitude to get him out of the game. Having no takers and
not wanting to go to the CFL, Williams left the game at 32 years old after
playing in 88 games, leaving with 16,998 yards and 100 TD’s passing and 15
rushing TD’s. Shortly after leaving the game, he wrote a "Tell All" book about
his journey as an African American Quarterback, the book called “Quarterblack:
Shattering the NFL Myth” was very informative, opinionated, and ticked off the
NFL establishment. Williams was never called by any NFL people and was
“Blackballed” for good. He later became a successful Head Coach at Morehouse
College and Grambling where he replace Robinson. Williams is now a key member in
the Tampa Bay Buccaneers personnel department. He will not make the Hall of Fame
with his career numbers, but his impact will far exceed his numbers, because he
led the way future African American Quarterbacks. By winning the Super Bowl and
being named the MVP he open eyes that did not want to see.